South Africa: Globalization, Sports, and Development -- the 2010 Soccer World Cup

Soccer stadium in Durban

SIT's newly launched South Africa: Globalization, Sports, and Development study abroad program gives students a historic opportunity to study issues of global capital, identity politics, and theories of development through the lens of sports and in particular the FIFA 2010 World Cup.

This is the first time the soccer World Cup is being organized on the African continent. Students will explore how the choice of South Africa to host what has been called the world's largest sporting and media event is reflective of significant developments in both global and domestic politics.

From the program base in Durban, students will assess the perceptions and reactions of urban and rural communities to sports and to the World Cup.

Major themes for exploration include:

  • The economic, political, and social impact the organization of this mega event is having on the institutions of South Africa and its citizens' everyday lives
  • Ways in which the build-up and expected impact of the World Cup could shape development processes, inter-racial relations, and nation building in South Africa
  • How the organization of the 2010 World Cup could engender a revisionist reading of post-apartheid and post-colonial relations on the Africa continent

Students will also have the opportunity to view selected games at a variety of public viewing parks, those established by FIFA, and also more informal parks in townships and rural areas. 

The program incorporates lectures with in-country faculty, discussions with local youth, educational excursions outside of Durban, and two homestay experiences with South African families. Through the program's community based practicum component, students will engage with local community and youth organizations on sports development programs and initiatives to explore the contribution of sports to community and personal development.

Witness a turning point in sports history and a milestone in African affairs
Given the important returns on the economy, infrastructure, and publicity of the host country, countries across the world vie to host the World Cup. The construction of multi-million dollar stadiums, communication networks, and image enhancement campaigns impact people's experience of space, inter-racial relations, and perceptions of themselves and of the world. By hosting this event, a country expects to see improvements in its infrastructure and enhanced credibility in its institutions.


Since the inaugural World Cup in 1930, Europe and the Americas have held total hegemony over the organization of this mega-sport event. Today, Europe remains the epicenter of professional soccer with clubs that function as multinational corporations. These clubs frequently boast independent television channels, label products, shares traded in the world's major financial centers, and are part of an international network devoted to sourcing and recruitment of young talent from Africa and the Americas.

The organization of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa is a tribute to the emergent economic power of Africa; an acknowledgement of the social and political development made in post-apartheid South Africa; and a reflection of South Africa's deeper integration in global affairs.

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Printable Program Summary
Credits: 8

Duration: Summer, 6 weeks

Program Base: Durban

Language Study: Zulu

Prerequisites: None

Map of South Africa

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